Auditor General investigates the "outrageous costs" of Hajj

General News of Monday, April 8, 2019

Source: starrfm.com.gh

2019-04-08

The Auditor General reported that she was investigating an alleged case of "unjustified increase" in Hajj costs this year.

The Muslim Patriotic Front (FMP), a coalition of young intellectuals, businessmen and Muslim students, petitioned the Auditor General about the exorbitant costs of 19,000 GHC against 15,000 GHC last year.

The Auditor General acknowledged receipt of the petition on Monday, promising the establishment of a committee to look into the case.

In confirming this news to Starrfm.com.gh, the president of the Muslim Patriotic Front (PMF), Haruna Mohammed, has expressed his interest in the Auditor General looking into the registers of the council, as many pilgrims and Muslims in the grbad contacted to express their dissatisfaction with the fees.

The following is a copy of the petition presented to the Auditor General:

PETITION TO INVITE THE POWERS OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 11 AND 22 OF THE AUDIT SERVICE ACT, 2000 (Bill 584).

We write about the above subject.

Patriotic Muslim Front (PMF) is a coalition of young intellectuals, businessmen and Muslim students whose sole purpose is to advance the course of Islam in the context of religious pluralism for peace and security, through the demand for accountability and transparency of our Muslim leaders.

As a result of the fees to be paid by Muslim pilgrims by the Ghana Hajj Board on February 14, 2019, PMF members, hired by a large number of Muslim pilgrims, are charged with seeking an unjustified increase in fees. every year.

Acting in the interest of our Muslim community, we have launched a series of activities aimed at bringing clarity and transparency to the beneficiaries of the pilgrimage of the Hajj pilgrimage to Ghana. On February 21, 2019, we sent a letter to the Ghana Hajj Board regarding fees and other issues related to transparency and accountability, the main concern being:

2018: Lack of evidence justifying Council spending through audited accounts formally filed for 2016, 2017 and 2018. For example, in 2017, the quota allocated by the Saudi authorities was about 6,000 and the Council charged to each Ghanaian pilgrim 15,000 GH ¢. . In fact, the Commission has probably received and spent a total of 6,000 x 15,000 GH ¢. The 2018 quota was around 5700 and the Council charged 5 700 x 15 000 GH ¢.

The Council increased its costs this year to 19 500. On the basis of the quota, the Commission will manage a total amount of the quota and the new duty. Each year, the Council reviews the cost of financial badistance provided by the government, but the audit is done by the audit department to justify taxpayer support for the pilgrimage.

2019: Lack of transparency in rising costs for the single package that they charge to Ghanaian Muslim pilgrims. All decisions concerning contracts and expenditure controlled by the Commission's accounts department are unfounded.

The distribution of the total amount of benefits paid by pilgrims is not part of the public domain, unlike the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs for the pilgrimage of Christians in Jerusalem.

We also ask your team to badert your powers as the only institution mandated by Article 187 (2) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.

The article states that:

187 (2) The public accounts of Ghana and all public offices, including courts, central and governmental administrations, universities and similar public institutions, any public population or any other body or organization established by an act of Parliament verifies and reports to the Auditor General.

Section 22 of the Audit Service Act 2000 (Act 584) also states that:

The Auditor General may, at the request of Parliament and on his own initiative, investigate a report on any matter relating to:

1. The financial affairs of the government or public property and

2. Any person or organization that receives financial badistance from the government or for which government financial badistance is requested.

The Ghana Pilgrimage Administration Board, established by the President of Ghana and receiving financial badistance from the Government for the management of some of its activities, is therefore subject to the jurisdiction of the Auditor General.

Therefore, we ask that you invoke your own jurisdiction to verify the account of the Ghana Hajj Board to resolve the unrest in the Muslim community. We will humbly ask that this be expedited given the urgency of the matter.

We are waiting for your quick answer.

Regards,

Mr. Haruna Mohammed
Mr Kadri Karim

(President)
(Secretary)

Cc: Office of the President

Ghana Pilgrimage Council

Muslim Parliament

Office of the Chief Imam